qerkey



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. M. GERKEY.

BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

No. 428,903. Patented May 27, 1890.

- (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. M. GERKEYL BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

No. 428,903. Patented May27, 1890.

"( x 5' H hi. 1 -w@' :3 11 llllllljn E W12 WESSES INTI/V702 (No Model. I H Q 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. M. GBRKEY.

BUTTON SETTING MAGHINB.

Patented May 27, 1890.

W12 WESSES (No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 4.

W. M. GERKEY. r BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

No. 428,903. 'Patented May 27, 1890.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

w. M. GERKEY. BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

No. 428,903. Patented May 27, 1890.

W12 WESSES 4; jjvmwroza UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

\VILLIAM M. GERKEY, OF OARTHAGE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN LEWVIS GERKEY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUTTON-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECTIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,903, dated May 27, 1890.

Application filed May 20, 1889. Serial No. 311,386. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. GERKEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carthage, in the county of J asperand State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Button-Fastening Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoe-button-fastening machines.

The object isto produce a machine which shall be continuous in operation-that is, one which will clinch a button at one point and at the same time thread another button and drop it in position to be clinched.

With these objects in View the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a shoe-button-fastening machine, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated one form of device embodying the essential features of my invention, although the same may be carried into effect in other ways without in the least departing from the spirit thereof, and in these drawings-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shoe-button-fastening machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view with a portion removed, showing more particularly the knife for cutting the wire used to form the staples, and also the die for clinching the staples. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the mechanism foroperatin g the die or form er on which the staples are pressed into shape. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the front plate of the machine, taken from the rear side. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the combined knife and die. Fig. 8 is a detail View of one of the clamping-jaws. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the movable jaw for holding the crimper in place, showing an opening therein through which the wire for forming the staples is inserted. Fig. 10 is a detail View of one of the button-tubes, showing its peculiar construction; and Fig. 1] is a detail View ofan arm for preventing the buttons dropping to the clinching mechanism faster than desired. Fig. 12 is a front View showing the wire engaged by the jaws, the dotted lines indicating the same as passing through the eye of the button.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame or standard of the ma chine to which the working parts are secured, and which consists of an upright 1 and an arm 2 extending at right angles to the same. To the outer end of this arm is secured or may be formed integral therewith a vertical piece 3, provided with a recess 4, whichforn'is a guide for the combined knife and die 5, which, when the machine is in operation, performs the triple function of forming the wire into a staple, cutting the wire and then crimping or clinching the staple thus formed in place upon the shoe or other article.

As I will have occasion to refer frequently to the knife and die, I will, for the sake of brevity, design ate it throughout the specification as the crimper. The crimper is operated by means of a lever 6, having one end formed into a yoke 7, whichis pivoted to upwardly-extendingshoulders 8 on a standard 9, said standard being provided with the downwardlyextending portion, which fits the rear side of the vertical piece 3, and is secured thereto by means of screw-bolts or equivalents, the opposite end of the lever pivoted to a rod 10, whichpasses down to the bottom of the frame, at which point a spring-actuated foot-lever ll is pivoted. The knife 12,which forms the top portion of the crimper, is provided with a recess 13, terminating at the top with a compound slot 14, in which the shank of the button rests, while one side is provided with a beveled cutting-edge 15, as seen clearly in Fig. 7. t As now seen, the knife can only be used on one side; but, if desired,it may be provided with a cutting-edge on both sides, thereby making it interchangeable, so that when one jaw becomes dulled from use the knife may be turned around, and thus present a fresh cutting-edge.

The crimper is provided with a vertical slot 16, through which works a die 17 for forming the staple, said die being provided with an upper rounded tongue or lip, as shown in Fig. '3, upon which the button-shank rests vertically, so as to present the eye on a vertical plane. This die is caused to reciprocate by means of a lever 18, said lever extending through an elongated slot in the arm 2, the upper end thereof being pivoted within the bifurcated .end of an arm 18. This lever is actuated by a pivoted arm 19, the lower end of said arm j ournaled in the bifurcated end of an angular bracket 19, while its upper end is bifurcated and adapted to receive the lower end of said lever 18. Through the slot 16 in the lower end of the crimper, and through the registering slot -i in the vertical piece 3, extends the shank of a bracket or bearing 21,which bears againstthe rear of the vertical piece 3, and is adapted to move vertically when movement is imparted to the crimper. The bracket or bearing has j ournaled -thcrein a roller 20, which engages the forward end of a weighted pawl 22 when the crimperismoved up, forces the lever out, and thus draws the die back; but when the crimper descends the pawl is tripped, and thus allows the lever to remain stationary.

In order to cause the die to resume its normal position,a coiled spring is mounted behind it, which, when pressure is removed from the lever 18, causes the die to be forced out in the position shown in Fig. 3. The object of having the die reciprocate will be fully described farther 011.

At the upper end and at one side of the crimper is secured a slotted cam 2i, which operates the mechanism for feeding buttons to the die. This mechanism consists of apivoted lever 25, which is bifurcated at its upper end, the said bifurcated portion having journaled therein a roller 26, working in the slot in the cam. At a point about midway of the length of this lever and secured to the side of the vertical piece 3 is a laterally-extending arm 27, upon which is mounted a slide 28, carrying a pivoted jaw 29 and a jaw 30 below it. These jaws, as will be observed, are serrated at their meeting edges, so as to clamp the wire firmly in place. The lower end of the jaw 29 is provided with a pin 31, which engages a slot 32, by means of which the jaw will be opened when the lever 25 is moved out from the vertical piece and closed when moving in. This will be readily understood by referring to the drawings, for when the lever is raised the roller will enter the slanting portion of the slot in. the cam and thus draw the lever out and thereby open the jaw; but when the lever is brought down the jaw will be closed and firmly clamped as soon as the roller enters the vertical part of the slot.

The wire for forming the staples is fed from a spool 33, which is mounted upon a bracket 34 and passes between a series of rollers 35 previous to passing between the jaws of the clamps. The object of this construction is to have the wire taut at all times, so as to prevent any buckling or bending, which would tend to interfere with the perfeet working of the device.

The button-feeding mechanism consists of a reel B, which is mounted upon a shaft or red 36, secured to a brace or bracket 37 upon the top of the frame A. This reel consists of a series of tubes 38, which are formed in cross-section to conform to the shape of the button. This reel is revoluble and is brought over a feed-chute 39, down which the buttons pass to be threaded previous to being secured upon the shoe. The feed-chute consists of two portions-an outer portion 40, constructed, preferably, of a flat piece of metal, and the inner portion 41, constructed of two pieces of metal, so as to form a slot 42, through which the shank of the button extends-said chute being connected at its upper end by means of a sleeve 40. In order to prevent the buttons falling faster than desired, a rod i3 is pivoted upon the face-plate, and is provided with two crescentshaped pieces of metal 44, one of which works in the slot of the feed-chute and the other through a slot 45, the latter crescent-shaped piece being engaged bya pin 46 upon the knife, said pin extending forwardly through the slot 45. This is desirable,inasmuch as there should be some check to the fall of the button, which is accomplished by the shank of a button passing into the concavity of the crescent-shaped piece of metal, which works in the slot of the feed-chute and is there held until the crimper is moved upward and the pin 46 engages the other crescent-shaped piece, the concavity of that piece facing inward. The moment the pin strikes the end of this latter crescentshaped piece the central crescent is turned, thus releasing the button and permitting the shank of the same to fall upon the curved lip of the die. This provides for the buttons falling at regular intervals-that is to say,

after the wire has been passed through the eye of the button, in the manner hereinafter explained, and the wire bent into proper shape the crimper is moved upward, the button upon the die is then released, and, as above stated, as soon the pin 40 trips its appropriate crescent, the button and knife descend together. The chute is further provided with set-screws 47, by means of which the chute may be adjusted to fit diil'erentsized buttons. Immediately below the chute is pivoted an arm 48, which is designed to pre vent the buttons dropping after they have cscaped from the crescent-shaped pieces-that is to say, this arm is designed to press against the head of the button when the same rests upon the die and holds it in proper position during the operation of passing the wire through the eye of the same, and to cease pressure after the wire has been passed through the eye and cut by the action of the knife. In other words, when the crimper is descending and the slide moving inward in order to thread the eye of the button the arm 48 is exerting a pressure upon the buttonhead so as to hold it in position, as it will be noticed that the outer end of this arm is inclined and adapted to be engaged by the forwardly-extending pin 27 on the inward stroke of the slide. After the threading and cutting have been completed there is no longer any ne cessity for retaining the button upon the die, and as the crimper is moved upward the slide of course is moved outward and the pressure of the pin 27 upon the end of thelever is released. This arm is held out of contact with the feed-chute by means of a spring 49; but when, as above explained, the slide is forced inwardly and the forwardly-extending arm thereof acts upon the pivoted arm 48 the pressure of this spring 49 is overcome. The die 50, upon which the staple is clinched, is mounted within the outer end of an arm 51, pivoted to shoulder 52, formed near the lower portion of the upright 1. This arm extends through a slot 53 formed within the said upright and is engaged by a lever 54, carrying a cam 55. Pivoted to the lever 6 is a rod 10, in which is formed a slot 57, through which the arm 54 works. This rod extends down to and is pivoted to the foot-lever at the base of the machine. Within the slot before referred to is mounteda curved spring 58, which bears upon the arm 54 to cause it to resume its normal position after having been raised by the lever 6. It is to be understood that the foot-lever just referred to operates the extra devicethat is, feeds the wire to the button and operates the knife to cut the wire, moves the die back to allow the button to drop to the clincher, and clinches the staple in place upon the shoe or other article. In order to understand how this is brought about, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the device is operated.

The device being in the position shown in Fig. l, the foot-lever is pressed and draws the lever 6 down, which movement partially rotates the rod carrying the crescent-shaped stops and releases one button, which drops upon the die 17. As the lever (5 is thus drawn down, the slide 28 is moved inwardly through the medium of the pivoted lever 25, working in the slotted cam 24, and at the same time the grip of the jaws upon the wire is released by action of the pin 31 from the lower end of the pivoted jaw 29, engaging the slot 32 in the lever 25. The wire thus being released and the slide moving inwardly, said wire is necessarily forced laterally and passed through the eye of the button. After the crimper has reached its extreme downward limit, the shape of the compound slot in the upper portion thereof has the eifect of bending the wire and the inclined cutting-edges to hold it steady.

of the knife of cutting the same. It will be observed,however, that the highest point of the compound slot extends sufliciently upward to prevent the upper end thereof from coming in violent contact with the upright edge of the eye of the button, thus preventing damage thereto. After pressure upon the treadle is stopped, of course the lever 6 moves upward by the recoil of the spring 59, and at the same time the die 17 is moved inwardly, while the slide moves outwardly. In this manner the support for the button is removed, and the pressure upon the spring 48 being no longer exerted, the button and staple formed in the eye thereof fall upon the die 50, and when the foot-lever is again pressed down the staple thus formed will be securely'elinched in place. As the lever 6 is raised each time, the arm carrying the die 50 is forced down by means of the spring before referred to, and thus allows the article to be withdrawn from under the die. As each button drops to its position, it is held in place by means of two springs 60, so that as the die 50 leaves the bottom of the vertical piece 3 the buttons will be prevented from dropping from the machine.

It will be observed that the side of the guide through which thewire passes is in-' clined, as shown at 61, and is provided with an opening (32, through which the wire passes The object of having it in this way is that the wire will be cut on an angle instead of straight, thereby presenting a sharp point, so that the puncturing of. the leather or other material will be facilitated;

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description that-although this device is comparatively simple of construction it will be found of the highest efficiency and durability in use, and may be constructed at but a slight expense, and will greatly reduce the cost and trouble of securing the buttonsin place upon shoes.

.IIO

Having thus fully described my invention,

. extending piece, a standard having. its rear end flanged downwardly and secured to the vertical piece and its forward end extending upwardly and bifurcated, a lever having its end formed into a yoke which is journaled to the bifurcated portion of the standard, a vertical arm connecting the rear end of the lever, said arm being provided near its lower end with an elongated slot, a lever journaled in suitable bearings in the lower end of the frame of the device and having its rear end passing into the'slot of the same, carrying on its forward end a clinching-die, a lever formed or provided on its forward end with a cam, said cam working in the slot of the frame and bearing upon the end of the die-carrying lever, the rear end of said cam-lever passing into the elongated slot of the vertical arm, a spring connected to said vertical arm and bearing upon the end of the cam-lever, and a spring-actuated treadle pivoted in a suitable frame and connected to the vertical arm, substantially as set forth.

2. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, said extension having an elongated horizontal slot therein intersected centrally by a vertical slot, a bracket secured to the vertical piece near the lower end thereof and upon. the rear side, a lever pivoted to said bracket, a weighted pawl pivoted in said lever, a springaetuated staple-forming die passing into the elongated slot of the right-angled extension, a vertical arm having its upper end pivoted to a suitable bracket and passing through the vertical intersecting slot of the right angled extension, its lower end passing into the bifurcated end of the rearwardly-extending portion of the lower vertical arm or lever, a vertically-reciprocating crimper and knife provided near its lower end with an elongated slot through which the die works, and a bracket havin the shank thereof extending through the slot of the vertical piece and secured to the lower end of the combined crimper and knife, said bracket having a suitable roller journaled therein, substantially as set forth.

3. In a button-setting machine, the combination of: a standard or frame, a vertical approximately U-shaped bracket sccu red thereto, said bracket provided with an upwardlyextcnding arm, a revoluble reel consisting of annular top and bottom pieces connected by a series of button-tubes conforming to the shape of the button, and a feed-chute for conveying the buttons from said tubes, said chute consisting of two sections, the forward section being composed of one piece and the rear section of: two pieces, with an intervening space between, said several pieces being arranged obliquely and curved slightly inwardly, substantially as set forth.

t. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard or frame, a vertical bracket, approximately U-shaped, secured thereto, said bracket provided with an upwardly-extending arm, a revoluble reel consisting of annular top and bottom pieces connected by a series of button-tubes conforming to the shape of the button, a feed-chute for conveying the buttons from said tubes, said chute consisting of two sections, the forward section consisting of one piece and the rear section of two pieces, with an intervening space between, a sleeve for connecting the upper ends of the sections of the chute, and setscrews to adapt the chute to different sizes of buttons, substantially as set forth.

5. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, a vertical piece secured to said extension, a verticallyreciprocating combined knife and crimper working in suitable ways upon said vertical piece and provided with a forwai'dly-extending pin, a spring actuated alternately inward and outward moving staple-forming die, a front plate provided with an elongated slot, a transverse spring-actuated shaft mounted in the upper end of said plate, said shaft carrying central and end crescent-shaped stops, the end stop constructed to be operated by the forwardly-extending pin of the com bined knife and crimper working through a side slot in the front plate and tripping said step, so that the button engaged by the central step may pass to the die, substantially as set forth.

0. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided at its upper end with an extension at right angles thereto, a vertical piece secured to said standard, a verticall y-reciprocatin g combined knife and crimper working in suitable ways upon said vertical piece, a spring-actuated and alternately forwardly and rearwardl y moving staple-forming die, a front plate provided with a central longitudinal slot for the reception of the shank of the button, and springs having their upper ends secured to opposite sides of the front plate and having their lower free ends bearing against the lower end of the longitudinal slot, in combination with a horizontally-pivoted clinching-die acting against the lower end of the combined knife and crimper, a chute provided on its inner side with a longitudinal slot, the lower end thereof registering and communicating with the upper end of the longitudinal slot of the front plate, a spring bearing against the lower end of the chute, and means for regulating the tension of said spring, substantially as set forth.

7. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, a vertical piece secured to said standard, a combined knife and crimper, a lever for operating said knife and crimper, a cam having a laterally-extending arm connected to the operating-lever, a lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, said lever having its upper end bifurcated and having journaled in said bifurcated portion a suitable roller, the latter working in the irregular slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the front vertical piece, and a wire-carrying slide moun ted upon said arm and connected to the lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, whereby when. the operating-lever is moved downwardlythc slide will be moved inwardly, and when the operating-lever is moved upwardly the slide will be moved outwardly, substantially as set fortln 8. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, a vertical piece securedto said standard, a combined knife and crin1per, a lever for operating said knife and crimper, a cam having a laterallyextending arm connected to the opcrating-lever, a lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, said lever having its upper end bifurcated and having journaled in said portion a suitable roller, the latter working in the irregular slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the front vertical piece, and a wire-carrying slide mounted upon the said arm, having a lower rigid jaw and an upper pivoted jaw secured thereto, said upper jaw extending downwardly and provided with a rearwardly-extending pin constructed to pass into the elongated slot in the lever pivoted to the said vertical piece, substantially as set forth.

9. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at rightangles thereto, a vertical piece secured to saidstandard, a combined knife and crimper, a lever for operat ing said knife and' crimper. a cam having a laterally-extending arm connected to the operating-lever, a lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, said lever having its upper end bifurcated and having journaled in said bifurcated portion a suitable roller, the latter working in the irregular slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the front vertical piece, a wire-carrying laterally-reciprocating slide mounted upon said arm and connected to the lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, a series of rollers mounted upon the extreme outer end of said laterallyextending arm, and a bracket having mounted thereon a spool, substantially as set forth.

10. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, a vertical piece secured to said standard, a combined knife and crimper, said knife having its cutting-edge inclined, a cutting-piece fitting against the edge of said knife and having an inclined cutting-edge registering with the inclined edge of the knife proper, and'also provided with a transverse wire-guidin g perforation registering with a similar perforation in the knife, a lever for operating said knife and crim per, a cam having a laterally-extending armconnected to the operating-lever, a lever pivoted to the said vertical piece, said lever having its upper end bifurcated and having journaled in said bifurcated portion a suitable roller, the latter working in the irregular slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the front vertical piece, and a wire-carrying slide mounted upon said arm and connected to the lever-pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, substantially as set forth.

11. In a button-setting machine, the combination of a standard formed or provided with an extension at right angles thereto, a

vertical piece secured to said standard, a bracket having its rear downwardly-flanged portion secured to the vertical piece and its forward upwardly-f1 anged portion bifurcated, a. lever having its forward end formed into a yoke and pivoted to said bifurcated end ofthe bracket, said lever being also provided with an elongated slot to the rear of. said yoke portion, a combined knife and crimper havin g an upwardly-extending bifurcated portion, the members or arms of said bifurcated portion being arranged upon opposite sides of the leverand provided with the apertures registering with the elongated slot of said lever, a cam provided with a laterally-extending arm passing through the apertures of the combined knife and crimper and through the elongated slot of the lever, an arm pivoted to the side of the vertical piece and having its upper end bifurcated, and a suitable roller journaled therein, said roller working in the irregular slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the vertical piece, and a wirevcrimper, a cam. having a laterally-extending arm connected to the vertical lever, a lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece, said lever having its upper end bifurcated and having journaled in said bifurcated portion a suitable roller, the latter working in the slot of the cam, an arm extending laterally from the front vertical piece, a wire-carrying slide mounted upon said arm and connected to the lever pivoted to the side of the vertical piece and provided with a forwardly-extending pin, and a spring-actuated bearing-plate pivoted to the front plate and having its outer end inclined and constructed to be engaged by the forwardlyextending pin of the slide, substantially as set forth.

13. In a button-setting machine, the combination, with aframe, of an automaticallyoperating lever mounted in the lower portion of said frame carrying on its forward end a clinching-die, an automatic vertically-moving combined crimper and knife, an automatic inwardly and outwardly moving staple-forming die, an automatic wire-carrying slide for feeding the wire to the eye of the button, a vertical bracket secured to the frame and carrying a revoluble reelconsisting of a series of connected button-tubes conforming to the shape of the buttons, a front plate provided with an elongated slot, springs at the lower end of said slot, a transverse springactuated shaft atthe upper end of the front plate carrying a central and end crescent my own I have hereunto affixed my signature shaped stop, the end stop constructed to be in presence of two Witnesses. engaged by the forwardly-extending pin from the orimper and knife passing through a side \VILLIAM M. GERKEY. 5 slot in said front plate, and a chute, substan- Vitnesses:

tialiy as set forth. JULIUS ROESSLER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as J USTUS MCCORD. 

